Serena Williams already has ‘sparring partners’ as comeback gathers pace and sister Venus makes rare appearance

Feb 23, 2026 - 16:00

The greatest female tennis player of all time is gearing up for a stunning comeback.

Serena Williams‘ professional tennis career took a career hiatus before effectively retiring after a third-round exit at the 2022 US Open.

Serena Williams of the USA returns a shot to her sister Venus Williams of the USA during the women's final of the US Open at the USTA National Tennis Center on September 7, 2002 in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, New York. — Serena held the WTA world No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks, which is the third-most of all time.

She tellingly refused to use the word ‘retiring’, instead saying was ‘evolving’ away from the court to seemingly call time on her illustrious career.

Williams, whose last Grand Slam singles title came in 2017, recently rejoined the sport’s anti-doping testing pool, a necessary step for any player wishing to enter tournaments.

Danielle Collins made this prediction during her TV debut, and it looks like it is about to come to fruition.

Rick Macci hints at Serena’s professional Tennis return

Legendary tennis coach Rick Macci was a big part of both Serena and sister Venus Williams‘ respective careers.

While he no longer coaches, he still remains an active member of the sport, often sharing his opinion on stars such as Coco Gauff.

According to Reuters on Monday, Macci told French publication L’Equipe that the 23-time Grand Slam champion is now fully committed to a return.

“She’s training with lots of sparring partners – guys,” he told the publication.

“She’s also played with Alycia Parks, a good friend of hers in South Florida. So I have no doubt about it (her comeback).

“But we’re not just talking about doubles here … she’s going all out.

“If she didn’t think she could compete with the best and win matches, she wouldn’t do it. It’s 100% certain she’ll dive back into competition.”

Serena Williams of the United States poses with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy after winning the Women's Singles Final against Lucie Safarova of Czech Repbulic on day fourteen of the 2015 French Open at Roland Garros on June 6, 2015 in Paris, France. — Serena’s ex-coach Rick Macci confirmed she has been ‘sparring’ in an effort to ramp up

Serena Williams performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 — She is the only tennis player, male or female, to accomplish a Career Golden Slam

The news of Serena’s comeback comes just a month after she sidestepped questions regarding a comeback on NBC Today.

Venus Williams set to compete in ATX Open in Austin

Serena is following in the footsteps of her older sister Venus, who made a stunning return to professional tennis in 2025.

Venus has always emphasized that she was never retired, continuing to remain active despite an injury-burdened last few years.

After more than a year away from the game, Venus, 45, returned to WTA competition last July at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, earning her first singles win since August 2023.

Venus Williams twirls after winning a women's single match against Peyton Stearns (not pictured) during on day 2 of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 — Venus Williams recently made her return to tennis after being inactive for over a year

The initial entry list for the 2026 ATX Open released last week included Williams, who will join nearly two dozen of the world’s Top 100 players set to compete at Westwood Country Club from February 21 to March 1.

Her first match will be against Ajla Tomljanovic in the Round of 32 on the 24 February.

She has also been announced as a wildcard entry for the upcoming Indian Wells event, too.